---
title: "Speedball Speedy-Carve Block: Sizes & Carving Tips"
canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/speedball-speedy-carve-block/"
description: "Speedball Speedy-Carve pink carving block explained: five sizes from 3 × 4 in to 11.75 in square, 1/4 in thick, how it carves vs linoleum, tools, inks, origin."
category: "Stamps"
type: "Carving block"
published: 2026-10-20
updated: 2026-10-20
author: "Ellis Penhale"
publisher: "Stationery Times"
sources: 19
products:
  - name: "Speedball Speedy-Carve Block, Pink (4 × 6 in)"
    brand: "Speedball"
    brand_origin: "United States"
    made_in: "United States"
    material: "Pink PVC-based plastic with calcium carbonate filler (per Speedball's safety data sheet); latex-free"
    price_band: "$$ ($5–20 per stamp or ink pad, typical US retail, October 2026)"
    manufacturer: "Speedball Art Products, Statesville, North Carolina"
    sku: "004107"
    url: "https://www.speedballart.com/speedy-carve-blocks/"
---

# Speedball Speedy-Carve Block: Sizes & Carving Tips

> Speedball Speedy-Carve is a soft pink carving block for making your own rubber stamps and relief prints. Speedball sells it in five sizes from 3 × 4 in to 11.75 × 11.75 in, about 1/4 in (6.5 mm) thick, and says it carves more easily than linoleum. Dharma Trading has listed it as made in the USA.

- URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/speedball-speedy-carve-block/
- Category: Stamps
- Author: Ellis Penhale
- Published: 2026-10-20
- Updated: 2026-10-20

![Pink Speedball Speedy-Carve block, 4 by 6 in and 1/4 in thick, drawn to scale with a leaf carved in relief, beside its mirror-image print in black ink](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/speedball-speedy-carve-block-16x9.png)

*Carve the design in reverse: the print comes out as its mirror image.* Original drawing (SVG): https://stationerytimes.com/images/speedball-speedy-carve-block-cover.svg. Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

## Product facts

| Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speedball Speedy-Carve Block, Pink (4 × 6 in) | Speedball (by Speedball Art Products, Statesville, North Carolina) | United States | United States | Pink PVC-based plastic with calcium carbonate filler (per Speedball's safety data sheet); latex-free | – | $$: $5–20 per stamp or ink pad |

- Made in (Speedball Speedy-Carve Block, Pink (4 × 6 in)): United States. Dharma Trading's former product page listed Speedy-Carve blocks as made in the United States; its current page doesn't state it. Speedball describes Statesville, North Carolina as its US manufacturing and distribution headquarters, and its Speedy-Carve safety data sheet names Speedball in Statesville as the supplier, but no Speedball page names the factory for Speedy-Carve. Check the packaging. Source: https://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/2042-AA.shtml

## Key takeaways

- Speedball's safety data sheet gives the plates as 6.5 mm thick; retailers round it to 1/4 in (6.35 mm).
- Speedball lists 5 sizes: 3 × 4, 4 × 6, 6 × 12, 9 × 11.75 and 11.75 × 11.75 in.
- Retailers describe the surface as soft and putty-like, easier to cut than linoleum and able to hold fine lines without crumbling.
- Speedball says the blocks are latex-free and gluten-free but contain PVC, so they aren't for laser cutters.
- An Amazon listing mirrored by Desertcart shows the 4 × 6 in block at 4.7 out of 5 from 1,630 reviews.

## What is Speedball Speedy-Carve?

**Speedy-Carve is a soft pink block you carve with lino tools to make your own stamps or relief prints.** You cut away everything you don't want to print, ink the raised surface left behind, and press it onto paper.

Retailers sell it for both stamp carving and block printing, and an Amazon reviewer mentions using it for letterboxing stamps. It is made by Speedball Art Products, the Statesville, North Carolina company that began as the C. Howard Hunt Pen Company in 1899.

## Speedy-Carve specs

| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Maker | Speedball Art Products, Statesville, North Carolina |
| Color | Pink |
| Thickness | 6.5 mm (Speedball data sheet); about 1/4 in |
| Sizes | 3 × 4, 4 × 6, 6 × 12, 9 × 11.75, 11.75 × 11.75 in |
| Material | PVC-based plastic with calcium carbonate; latex-free |
| Inks | Water-soluble or oil-based block printing ink |
| Tools | Lino cutters (V and U gouges) |
| Laser cutting | Not recommended (contains PVC) |
| Made in | United States (Dharma Trading, former page) |

Sizes, inks and the PVC warning come from Speedball's product page; thickness and composition from its safety data sheet. Retailers round the thickness to 1/4 in, and an Amazon listing gives the 4 × 6 in block as 6 × 0.25 × 4 in.

## What sizes does Speedy-Carve come in?

**Speedball lists five sizes, from a 3 × 4 in stamp-sized block to an 11.75 × 11.75 in sheet.** The 4 × 6 in block is the common starter size, and Walmart also sells it in 6-packs.

![To-scale drawing of the five Speedball Speedy-Carve block sizes stacked from one corner, per Speedball: 3 by 4 in, 4 by 6 in, 6 by 12 in, 9 by 11.75 in and 11.75 by 11.75 in, plus a side view of the 1/4 in (6.35 mm) thickness](https://stationerytimes.com/images/speedball-speedy-carve-block-sizes.svg)

*All five sizes share the same 1/4 in thickness.*

| Size | Metric | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| 3 × 4 in | 76 × 102 mm | Small stamps, a first practice carve |
| 4 × 6 in | 102 × 152 mm | Several small stamps or one postcard print |
| 6 × 12 in | 152 × 305 mm | Long borders and banners |
| 9 × 11.75 in | 229 × 298 mm | Cutting into many stamps; larger prints |
| 11.75 × 11.75 in | 298 × 298 mm | Large relief prints |

Our drawing above follows the retailer catalog we first used: it shows the largest block as 11.75 × 12 in and leaves out the 6 × 12 in size that Speedball also lists.

You can cut any block into pieces with a craft knife, and a retailer notes this makes multi-color registration easier.

## How does Speedy-Carve compare to linoleum?

**Retailers describe it as much easier to cut than traditional linoleum while still holding fine lines.** Wyndham Art Supplies calls the surface soft and putty-like, and Dharma Trading says the blocks won't crack, crumble or break.

The softness has a cost. ShopSavvy's summary of reviews says some buyers find it too soft for very fine detail and see shaggy edges on cuts, and that a wooden backing helps when printing. Reviewers also compare it favorably with Speedball's ivory Speedy-Cut, which one called crumbly.


## What tools do you need?

**You need a lino cutter, a pencil and a craft knife; inking depends on what you make.**

1. **Transfer the design** in pencil or from a printout; ShopSavvy's review summary says buyers like how printed designs transfer.
2. **Carve** with V gouges for lines and U gouges for clearing; carve the design in reverse.
3. **Trim** the block with a craft knife, and mount large stamps on wood or acrylic.
4. **Ink** small stamps on a pad, or roll block printing ink with a brayer for larger prints.

For a permanent black on paper, try the [Ranger Archival Ink Jet Black](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/ranger-archival-ink-jet-black/) pad; for glossy or non-porous surfaces, a solvent ink such as [StazOn](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/stazon-ink-pad/).

## Is it worth buying?

**For a first carved stamp, yes: it is inexpensive, forgiving and widely sold.** A single 4 × 6 in block typically falls in the $5–20 band, and per-block prices in 6-packs drop below $5.

An Amazon listing mirrored by Desertcart shows the 4 × 6 in block at 4.7 out of 5 from 1,630 reviews, and ranks it in the top few hundred of Amazon's relief and block printing materials. If you want very fine detail and crisp edges for prints, traditional linoleum may suit you better.

## Where is Speedy-Carve made?

**Dharma Trading has listed it as made in the United States, though its current page no longer says so.** Speedball says it moved manufacturing to Statesville, North Carolina, in 1957 (the local chamber of commerce says 1958) and calls Statesville its US manufacturing and distribution headquarters; a PBS segment shows over 3,000 products made there.

We found no Speedball page naming the factory for Speedy-Carve itself, so check the packaging. To print a hand-carved stamp exactly in place twice, a [MISTI stamping tool](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/misti-stamping-tool/) helps.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is Speedy-Carve made of?

Speedball's safety data sheet describes pink plastic plates made from a blend of PVC, calcium carbonate, a plasticizer (an alkyl sulphonic ester of phenol), zinc and calcium stearate, titanium dioxide and pink pigment. Speedball says it is latex-free.

### How thick is a Speedy-Carve block?

Speedball's safety data sheet gives 6.5 mm; Jerry's Artarama and Dharma Trading round that to 1/4 in (6.35 mm). Reviewers say a thin block benefits from mounting on wood or acrylic for large stamps.

### What sizes does Speedy-Carve come in?

Speedball lists 3 × 4, 4 × 6, 6 × 12, 9 × 11.75 and 11.75 × 11.75 in. Some retailers give the largest as 11.75 × 12 in, and the 4 × 6 in size is also sold in 6-packs.

### What do you carve Speedy-Carve with?

Retailers say it is designed for lino-cutting tools: a handle with interchangeable V and U gouges. A craft knife helps trim the block to size.

### Is Speedy-Carve easier than linoleum?

Retailers say yes: its soft surface is easier to cut than traditional linoleum and takes fine lines without crumbling. Some reviewers find it too soft for very fine detail and report shaggy cut edges.

### Can you cut Speedy-Carve with a laser cutter?

No. Speedball says Speedy-Carve contains PVC and is not recommended for laser cutters.

### What ink do you use with a Speedy-Carve stamp?

Small carved stamps print with ordinary stamp pads. For larger prints, retailers sell it as a printmaking block to roll with block printing ink and a brayer.

### Where is Speedy-Carve made?

Dharma Trading has listed it as made in the United States, though its current page doesn't say. Speedball's manufacturing and distribution headquarters is in Statesville, North Carolina.

## Sources

- [Speedball: Speedy-Carve Blocks (3 × 4, 4 × 6, 6 × 12, 9 × 11.75, 11.75 × 11.75 in; water-soluble or oil-based inks; latex-free, contains PVC)](https://www.speedballart.com/speedy-carve-blocks/)
- [Speedball: Speedy Carve product safety data sheet, rev. 3, November 21, 2018 (pink plastic plates 6.5 mm thick; composition; supplier Speedball, Statesville, NC)](https://www.speedballart.com/content/resources/BP%20Speedy%20Carve%20MSDS.pdf)
- [Speedball: About us (Camden, NJ, 1899; manufacturing moved to Statesville, NC, in 1957; US-based manufacturing and distribution headquarters)](https://www.speedballart.com/about-us/)
- [Dharma Trading: Speedball Speedy-Carve Blocks (former page: 1/4 in thick, made in USA)](https://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/2042-AA.shtml)
- [Jerry's Artarama: Speedball Speedy-Carve (3 × 4 in item 66549; 1/4 in thickness)](https://www.jerrysartarama.com/speedball-speedy-carve)
- [Jerry's Artarama: Speedball Speedy-Carve 4 × 6 in](https://www.jerrysartarama.com/speedball-speedy-carve-4x6-inch-0066550000000)
- [School Specialty: Speedy-Carve block 3 × 4 in, pink (1539724)](https://www.schoolspecialty.com/speedball-speedy-carve-block-3-x-4-inches-pink-1539724)
- [School Specialty: Speedy-Carve block 4 × 6 in, pink (1539725)](https://www.schoolspecialty.com/art-supplies-craft-supplies/printmaking/linoleum-block-printing/speedball-speedy-carve-block-4-x-6-inches-pink-1539725)
- [School Specialty: Speedy-Carve block 9 × 11-3/4 in, pink (1539727)](https://www.schoolspecialty.com/speedball-speedy-carve-block-9x12-in-pink-1539727)
- [School Specialty: Speedy-Carve block 11-3/4 × 12 in, pink (1539728)](https://www.schoolspecialty.com/speedball-speedy-carve-block-12x12-in-pink-1539728)
- [Wyndham Art Supplies: Speedball Speedy-Carve (soft, putty-like, latex-free, contains PVC)](https://www.wyndhamartsupplies.com/products/speedball-speedy-carve-lino)
- [T N Lawrence: Speedball Speedy-Carve block 10 × 15 cm (4 × 6 in)](https://www.tnlawrence.com/speedball-speedy-carve-block-10x15cm-4x6in)
- [Desertcart (Amazon listing mirror): Speedy-Carve 4 × 6 in (6 × 0.25 × 4 in; 4.7 stars, 1,630 reviews)](https://www.desertcart.com.cy/products/1429350.md)
- [Desertcart (Amazon listing mirror): Speedy-Carve reviews (vs Speedy-Cut, mounting)](https://www.desertcart.nz/products/1429381)
- [ShopSavvy: is the Speedy-Carve block good for detailed designs (review summary)](https://shopsavvy.com/answers/is-the-speedball-speedy-carve-block-good-for-detailed-designs)
- [Wikipedia: Speedball (art products) (C. Howard Hunt Pen Company, 1899; Statesville, NC)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speedball_(art_products))
- [PBS: Speedball Art (Statesville facility, over 3,000 items)](https://www.pbs.org/video/speedball-art-alpd5q/)
- [Greater Statesville Chamber of Commerce: A Legacy of Innovation: Speedball (move in 1958)](https://allen-tate-real-estate-mari.locable.com/connections/28047-greater-statesville-chamber-of-commerce/posts/2024/11/14/15461/a-legacy-of-innovation-speed/)
- [Walmart: Speedball Art Products (Speedy-Carve 4 × 6 in 6-pack)](https://www.walmart.com/c/brand/speedball-art-products-arts-crafts)